Lipstick Jihad

This book is a memoir of the young author, Azadeh Moaveni. It covers her struggle with her identity as both an American and an Iranian, as well as her return to live in Iran in the couple of years around September 11, 2001. It was a great read, and had many interesting themes and questions rasied in it. As America is trying to figure out it's policies in regards to Iran, it is important to try and gain some insight into this country...most of us know nothing about. I felt this book helped.

First, there is a huge underlying discussion about the identity of the author. She waivers throughout her childhood as to how much she wants to be American or Iranian, but overall...just to be normal. In both worlds, she feels uprooted. A lot of this discussion remindes me of books in Latin American culture, like Dreaming in Cuban by Christina Garcia, that also talks about the struggle of leaving a home country in turmoil and living in the US as an excile. How one longs for the old country, but how the realization that the country that still stands doesn't resemble, nor may ever resemble, that country of their memory. I many ways, I learned that Iranian exiles here in the US share a lot in common with Cuban exiles. Connections like this I think help humanize people like Azadeh.

The next thing you notice is how messed up the country and the government really are. There is a hard line Islamist force of the government that controls the military, police, and justice system that is controlled by conservative clerics. There is a reformist section, that is usually elected to the executive branch of the government that feels anti-West, anti-American, and more socialist...and anti-Capitalist. Then there are those who had some power and wealth under the Shah, sometimes referred to as the richest and the brightest who fled the country during the Revolution in 1979. Azadeh describes this delicate situation, but is cautious to assert that...even though there is a lot that is wrong, Iran is more than just this "axis of evil" label and that the people know the government is corrupt...but they are having trouble understanding how to fix it. They see the Islamic Republic as a failure of sorts, but don't want another Civil War.

There are descriptions of the need for women to wear veils, and the needless beatings or whippings of civilians by young thugs paid by the Islamists to enforce strict observance of Islamic Rules of modesty...etc. There also is a description of how the youth in Tehran kind of "fight the system." Like wearing lipstick, or wearing sandals with no socks. You really start feeling for the Iranian civilians who live in this perpetual state of stress and intimidation. As I read about it, I thought of the fear and intimidation tactics of freed slaves and blacks in America with the existance of Jim Crow laws. The repression of the government on its own people is really astounding, so is this sense of hopelessness or powerlessness. Many Iranians have definitely lost faith in their religion (because it is forced on them) as well as in their government.

There are some other direct correlations with the movie I reviewed, "Two Women." Although the movie takes place before the Revolution, and this book much latter, there is a woman character Fatimeh that mirrors the experience of Fereshteh. I think using this book with that movie, you could do a lot of discussion about gender, power, rights...etc. The book also made me make a list of things I need to explore a little more. For instance, Iranian history, the differance between Sunni and Shiite Islam, Iranian pagan culture...and so forth.

The book was accesible and honest. A great read for anyone interested in Iran.